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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. object — an aim
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. march — music
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. track — a path
  10. foot — a measure
  11. object — to protest
  12. march — the month
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. dip — to sink
  17. track — a song
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. band — a ring
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. object — a thing
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com